Easy recipe!

CO really likes pasta. I found this recipe while living in Australia and actually made it in New Zealand a few times too while on vacation. It's very simple and doesn't use anything too hard to find.

Buttered Linguine with Romano, Tomatoes, and Basil - from Confessions of a Foodie Bride

1/2 lb Linguine
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp basil, chopped/chiffonade
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated (sometimes when in a bind I use Parmesan)
Salt, to taste

Cook pasta 6-8 minutes, or until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.

Toss hot pasta in a large bowl with butter, pepper, tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Add 1/4 cup pasta water and toss to moisten. Add additional water if necessary. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Yields: 3 servings (entree)
Source: Heavily revised from Everyday Pasta, 2007

HWotD

Today's Hawaiian word is:

'Ohana - family, relative, clan
(also to gather together for family prayers- isn't that cool!)
"Oh-ha-nah"


I'm sad about this one because this year, my family will be spread out. My sister and her family are going to Guatemala. My parents and younger sister are in Michigan (at least for the time being). My dh and I are going to visit his family in Florida. I'm excited to be with my inlaws (really, they're cool!), but I'm also sad because my parents were supposed to go to Guatemala too, but my mom has been having really bad headaches and they couldn't go. She went to the hospital on Tuesday and they aren't exactly sure what is causing the headaches, but think it could have to do with one nerve. Please keep her in your prayers.

Mele Kalikimaka!

The HWotD/phrase is Mele Kalikimaka :)

Merry Christmas everyone!

"Mel-eh kah-lee-key-mah-kah"

The Grinch carved the roast beast!

Ok, so dh (dear husband) isn't really a grinch. He just likes to keep me on budget, but anyway, quite nearly his favorite meal these days is a good roast beef. I, on the other hand, am not so fond of roasts. Last weekend, we tried one and even he wasn't so fond of my cooking skills. Ironically enough, the "rub" recipe that I gave my dad (after doing a google search) was raved about for weeks.

Today I was brave enough to again attempt a roast. I used the recipe for the rub that I gave my dad, and it was fabulous! Both dh and I loved it!

Prime Rib Herb Paste

from Ziggy at about.com

This is a great rub to put on prime rib. (We used eye of round.)The combination of flavors with the olive oil make a good slow roasted rib roast perfect. Whether you are roasting, grilling or smoking this is a great rub.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (We used all dried spices that we had on hand)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (We didn't have rosemary at all)
  
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-1/2 tablespoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt blend (It wouldn't be one of our meals without it!)
  

PREPARATION:

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and even. Spread evenly over the surface of the (prime rib) roast.




Also, note to self. While waiting for roast to cook, don't overindulge in Sour Patch Kids and then think nothing of eating a tomato chunk. Your tongue will hate you. End note.

HWotD

Today's word of the day is:

ahiahi - evening, late afternoon
"ah-hee-ah-hee"

aloha ahiahi - good evening

Pay it Forward

I have decided to join the Pay It Forward pledge and give handmade love to others. I found this on one of my new fave blogs, Make and Takes, and I am in turn passing it on, or Paying It Forward. I think it will be a great way to get to know more of you and encourage you to Pay it Forward as well.

Here is the pledge and how it works:

“I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, which is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”

And if you don’t have a blog, make the commitment anyway by making something and simply giving it away. I don’t know what my handmade gifts will be, I think it will depend on who it goes too. And chances are, I will get to it a lot sooner than 365 days. This is exciting. And who can guess what it'll be? Here’s to Paying It Forward.

"Military Spouses earn $900,000"

That stinking email throws me off every time. It sounds so awfully good. Better than the $10/hour part time jobs that I usually can find. The email gets me started thinking about jobs that would earn money, be helpful to others, be fulfilling... But then I read on, and it says "Did you know that a bachelor's degree will earn you $900,000* more over the course of your career?"

Um. Yes, a bachelor's degree probably will help you earn more money. And about that $900,000 - did you see the Barry Bonds asterisk in there? Once you follow that down to the bottom of the page, it's over a person's career, assuming they start working at birth and die, working, at age 107. Perhaps I exaggerated slightly, but it's still bad.

My theory is that now that I have a masters degree, my earning potential is actually inverted, due to my obviously "overqualified" self. So, not only can I not get jobs, I also have to pay off my student loans too.

Thanks, military.com for getting my hopes up.